Technology attracting more spies

The improvement in Korea’s semiconductor and cell phone manufacturing technologies has come at the cost of industrial espionage. The National Intelligence Service said yesterday that there were 27 reported cases of attempted theft of technology information in the first 10 months of this year, one more than the total for all of last year. The agency added that since 1998, there have been 85 reported cases of industrial espionage, with the financial damage from the incidents estimated at 77 trillion won ($74 billion). Among the industries targeted by the industrial spies since 1998, electronics manufacturing topped the list with 35 attempts, followed by information technology at 27 and precision machinery at 10. Bribing researchers was by far the most popular way of committing industrial espionage, with 68 cases. There were seven incidents involving employees. “The penalties for industrial espionage are too lenient,” said an official with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. “Also, it can be difficult to establish grounds for punishment once the spies are caught.” In response, the government plans to seek the maximum penalty in future cases. It is also considering requiring prior government approval for the sale to foreigners of a Korean company holding key technologies. by Jung Kyung-min